Solar beats onshore wind in first joint auction

Only solar bids have been successful in Germany’s first joint solar and onshore wind auction for renewables support, said the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) in a press release. “In competition, it simply is the technology that offers the lowest costs that wins. However, for the success of the energy transition, a mix of the different technologies is necessary,” said BNetzA president Jochen Homann. Thirty-two of the 54 entered bids for a total of 210 megawatts were successful. The average support rate for all successful bidders was 4.67 eurocents per kilowatt hour (ct/kWh), higher than that of the last purely solar auction (4.33 ct/kWh). The results showed that “solar energy in Germany is very competitive at the moment,” said Thomas Bareiß, parliamentary state secretary in the economy ministry, in a statement. He also called for “a balanced mix of renewables production technologies overall”. In March, the solar and wind industries had both opposed joint auctions, arguing that the technologies have different cost structures.
Think tank Agora Energiewende* called for auctions for combined wind and solar facilities in the future instead. "This way, costs can be reduced because there is a joint use of the necessary grid infrastructure and the land," said director Patrick Graichen in a statement.

Find the press release in German here.

For background, read the CLEW news digest item Germany launches joint onshore wind and solar tender, including “grid component,” and the dossier Onshore wind power in Germany.

*Like the Clean Energy Wire, Agora Energiewende is funded by the Stiftung Mercator and the European Climate Foundation.